10 Character Designs That RUINED Video Games

3. Cole McGrath - Infamous 2

A lot of the time in the gaming industry, developers and publishers stick to their guns and go right ahead with what they’re doing, despite the backlash. This, however, can be hugely detrimental. It’s always the bigger person who admits that they screwed up and rectifies their mistakes. This humble attitude saved the Sonic the Hedgehog movie (man was that a terrible character design originally, but that’s a different article) and also did wonders for InFamous 2.

Fans of the original came to know and love Cole McGrath, a young man given unique powers after an explosion rocks Empire City. Depending on the moral choices the player makes over the course of the game, McGrath can become a hero, a bit of an anti-hero or a quite the villain. Either way, players became very attached to this unique protagonist, being as satisfying to play as he was.

For the sequel, Sucker Punch rejigged his design, giving him more of a ‘lived-in’ action star look. The version of the character originally shown off to fans (at E3 2010) did not go down well at all, to the extent that the team were seeming forced to relent and re-work him again. The Cole seen in Infamous 2 is one of three different versions of him the team went through!